Russell Berman

All of the Power, None of the Fun Being a GOP member of Congress in the Trump era is pretty miserable.

The ever-sunny but perpetually beleaguered Mike Johnson might hold the speaker’s gavel for another year, but the extent of his sway has never seemed more in doubt, write @elainegodfrey.bsky.social and @russellberman.bsky.social.

Why Indiana Republicans Are Standing Up to Trump Small-c conservatism is still a point of pride in the state.

Indiana GOP redistricting opponents head into today's vote cautiously optimistic. "I don't want to say anything that's going to jeopardize the vote," one told me. Another said the heavy-handed WH pressure had caused senators "to dig in their heels." www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Earlier this week, an Indiana senator opposed to redistricting received a call she thought was from an aide. "No, this is Mike Johnson from Washington," the caller corrected. "And who are you with?" the incredulous senator asked the House speaker. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Why Indiana Republicans Are Standing Up to Trump Small-c conservatism is still a point of pride in the state.

"I refuse to be intimidated." Today, Indiana Republicans might do something that few others in the GOP have dared to do this year: Defy Trump. My piece from Indianapolis: www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

‘I’d Rather My House Not Get Firebombed’ He opposed gerrymandering. Harassment followed.

An Indiana legislator opposed President Trump’s push for the state to redraw its congressional map to gain GOP seats in next year’s midterms. Harassment followed. “I’d rather my house not get firebombed,” the lawmaker told @russellberman.bsky.social.

‘I’d Rather My House Not Get Firebombed’ He opposed gerrymandering. Harassment followed.

Last week, the GOP lawmaker received a pizza delivery he didn't order. Other legislators have been swatted or subject to bomb threats. “The whole idea is, 'We know who you are. We know where you live,'” he told me. “They’re trying to intimidate us.” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

‘I’d Rather My House Not Get Firebombed’ He opposed gerrymandering. Harassment followed.

On Monday, I spoke with a GOP Indiana legislator who opposes Trump's redistricting push. He asked that I not publish his name. His fear isn't political—he's not running for reelection. It's safety. My piece on the intimidation campaign in Indiana:
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

How Democrats Backed Themselves Into a Shutdown Democrats surrendered a spending fight in March—and it all but foretold the October shutdown.

“Every Democrat, including the squishes, needs to understand that this president is unpopular, becoming more unpopular by the day, and is pushing wildly unpopular proposals. This is not some 800-pound gorilla,” @jamespmanley.bsky.social tells @russellberman.bsky.social.

How a Government Shutdown Will Impact California | KQED We talk about the stakes of a government shutdown and what one could mean for California.

🎙️ ON AIR:

We're speaking with @sarahdwire.bsky.social, @russellberman.bsky.social, KQED's Adhiti Bandlamudi and Politico's Nicholas Wu about what's at stake if the government shuts down and how it could impact California.

❓What are your questions?

📻 Listen:

The Blue State That’s Now a Bellwether New Jersey is no one’s idea of a swing state. Or is it?

New Jersey is no one's idea of a swing state. But it's been moving rightward the past few years, and its governor's race in November has become a must-win for Democrats. My look at the clash between Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The Blue State That’s Now a Bellwether New Jersey is no one’s idea of a swing state. Or is it?

“New Jersey is no one’s idea of a swing state,” @russellberman.bsky.social writes. This year, however, operatives in both parties believe New Jersey is an accurate barometer of how voters are reacting to the first year of Trump’s return tour in the White House:

What If This Is a Turning Point? Charlie Kirk’s closest allies will help determine whether the next few weeks bring confrontation, de-escalation, or something in between.

Charlie Kirk’s allies are calling his murder a “turning point,” @elainegodfrey.bsky.social and @russellberman.bsky.social write. Defining the phrase may determine “whether the next few weeks bring confrontation, de-escalation, or something in between”:

The Democrats’ Biggest Senate Recruits Have One Thing in Common They’re old.

Democrats are relying on a familiar strategy for key 2026 Senate races: old candidates. @russellberman.bsky.social on why the party thinks it’s the best option:

How Democrats Tied Their Own Hands on Redistricting Their threat to match Republican gerrymandering could be difficult to fulfill.

When it comes to matching Republican gerrymandering, Democrats’ hands are largely tied—and the party itself provided the rope, Russell Berman argues.

The Contortions of Josh Hawley Why the Missouri senator is trying to reverse Medicaid cuts he voted for

While Missouri health advocates hoped Hawley might hold the line, former Sen. John Danforth—a mentor-turned-critic—told me his vote was never in doubt: “It would just be impossible to be a Republican in good standing in this era & vote against it." www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The Contortions of Josh Hawley Why the Missouri senator is trying to reverse Medicaid cuts he voted for

Hawley's Medicaid contortions were the starkest illustration of how a GOP, under pressure from Trump, ended up slashing a core safety-net program more deeply than most expected—and more than many of them wanted, Trump possibly included www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The Contortions of Josh Hawley Why the Missouri senator is trying to reverse Medicaid cuts he voted for

“I did believe that he was genuine." I spoke with health-care advocates in Missouri about Sen. Josh Hawley's Medicaid journey—warning the GOP against cuts, voting for the bill that contained them, then immediately trying to reverse them www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The Red State Where Republicans Aren’t Afraid of Trump Some of the last remaining GOP holdouts hail from the same state.

Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, and Thomas Massie are some of the last remaining elected Republicans willing to criticize and vote against Trump. Their stands have left the president's diehard supporters in Kentucky feeling oddly unrepresented in DC: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The Red State Where Republicans Aren’t Afraid of Trump Some of the last remaining GOP holdouts hail from the same state.

Kentucky voted for Trump last year by more than 30 points, but it has become an unlikely hotbed of Republican resistance in his second term. I went there to find out what GOP voters think of their rebelling representatives: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The New Danger in Trump’s Washington: Honoring Federal Employees Can recognition for outstanding work suddenly be a bad thing?

To guard against reprisal from the Trump administration, most honorees at this year's Sammies did not take the stage or deliver an acceptance speech. It was a startling sign of how much fear pervades the federal workforce right now: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The New Danger in Trump’s Washington: Honoring Federal Employees Can recognition for outstanding work suddenly be a bad thing?

Is it now risky for a federal employee to accept an award in Trump's Washington? My dispatch from the Sammies, known as the Oscars for government, which were different this year: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

A Decade of Golden-Escalator Politics It was here that Donald Trump descended into American politics.

@russellberman.bsky.social: “What’s most striking about candidate Trump of June 2015 is how similar he is to President Trump of June 2025. To the pride of his supporters and the chagrin of his opponents, he has changed American politics more in the past decade than it has changed him.”

America’s Most Famous Escalator, a Decade Later It was here that Donald Trump descended into American politics.

Looking back on Trump's political debut, what's clear to both his supporters and critics is this: He has changed American politics over the past decade more than it has changed him www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

America’s Most Famous Escalator, a Decade Later It was here that Donald Trump descended into American politics.

To mark the 10th anniversary of Donald Trump's descent down the golden escalator, I revisited Trump Tower—and the speech that launched his first presidential campaign: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

America’s Most Famous Escalator, a Decade Later It was here that Donald Trump descended into American politics.

Donald Trump launched his presidential campaign a decade ago today. @russellberman.bsky.social was there, and recently took a trip back to the escalator that started it all.

This is an important piece.

The Real Problem With the Democrats’ Ground Game Democratic organizers are hesitant to admit when get-out-the-vote efforts don’t work. One group is trying to change that.

Vote Forward will release a study today disclosing that a major part of its letter-writing program in 2024 failed to boost turnout. Such admissions are rare. “We’ve got to actually be honest about both what works & what doesn’t work,”
Yasmin Radjy told me: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The Real Problem With the Democrats’ Ground Game Democratic organizers are hesitant to admit when get-out-the-vote efforts don’t work. One group is trying to change that.

“We have a people-pleasing problem in our party." Democratic organizers are hesitant to admit when get-out-the-vote efforts don’t work. One group is trying to change that. My new piece:
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

How Trump’s Massive, Wide Ranging Budget Bill Could Affect You | KQED We talk with reporters about what’s in the 1000-plus page budget bill and its political implications.

🎙️ ON AIR:

We're speaking with @cgrisales.bsky.social‬ and @russellberman.bsky.social about what’s in President Trump's 1000-plus page budget bill and its political implications.

❓ What are your questions about the Republican budget bill?

📻 Listen:

The Big, Beautiful Republican Shrug Republicans routinely criticized Democrats for rushing bills through Congress. Now that they’re in power, they don’t seem to mind.

“Rather than avoid the transgressions they’ve alleged Democrats have committed, Republicans have instead used them as license to go even further,” @russellberman.bsky.social writes: